The Haitian Project breaks ground on second school in 10-school network in effort to create a solution to poverty and instability in Haiti

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NORTH KINGSTOWN —The Haitian Project (THP) broke ground on the construction of a second Louverture Cleary School (LCS 2) in Haiti’s Plateau Central region in the Diocese of Gonaïves. Building on three decades of success at THP’s flagship Louverture Cleary School (LCS Santo 5) just outside of Port-au-Prince, this “Model Campus” will be replicated to create The Louverture Cleary Schools Network (LCS Network), a national system of 10 top-notch, tuition-free, Catholic secondary boarding schools combined with a robust university scholarship program. Each new school will be established in a different diocese/department of Haiti, increasing access to quality education outside of the nation’s capital.
The $7.4 million Model Campus project represents Phase One of the overall $73 million LCS Network plan. This first phase encompasses site development and construction of the Model Campus, as well as the development of the sites and initial buildings for LCS 3 and 4.
Patrick Brun, head of THP’s partner foundations in Haiti and Haitian private-sector leader, reflected on this milestone: “Breaking ground on the Model Campus is a monumental step forward for the Network and for Haiti. And the Network is exactly what Haiti needs at this moment. If you know the history or have been following current events in Haiti, you will realize the importance of education to resolve the problems of the country. This program specifically is the largest program in education that the country will ever see. We need points of light all over the territory, and this is what the Network will finally bring to Haiti.”

In a country that not only suffers from the constant expatriation of young, educated people but also the migration of people from the provinces to the capital Port-au-Prince, the LCS Network serves the goals of stemming the “brain drain” while also promoting decentralization to help mitigate the overcrowding occurring in Port-au-Prince. A Louverture Cleary School in each department of Haiti will help stimulate regional economies and support structures that will encourage development throughout the country, not just in the capital city, opening all regions of the country to enable Haiti’s emergence as a thriving nation.
Graduates of LCS Santo 5 are proof of this promise. Upon finishing university in Haiti, Louverturians are highly sought after by local employers for their education, ability to speak four languages (Kreyòl, English, French and Spanish), and leadership skills. Having come from families earning less than $1,000 a year, alumni are earning an average of $12,000 a year just several years out of university.
Crucially, 90 percent of LCS graduates stay in Haiti (a country where just 30 percent of young people remain after graduating from college) and are either attending university or are gainfully employed while building a better future for their families, their communities and their country. Keeping Haiti’s future leaders and change agents in the country is by design; the culture of Louverture Cleary School is steeped in active community service and a commitment to giving back drawn from The Haitian Project’s charism or spiritual identity, What you receive for free, you must give for free (Matthew 10:8).
Medical resident Linsey Francesca Jules, a 2013 graduate and one of the 25 percent LCS Santo 5 alumni who go on to study medicine, typifies Louverturians’ commitment to a brighter future for Haiti: “Since I was a kid, I have always loved medicine because I love helping others. I want to become a great pediatrician and also hope to pursue obstetrics to help increase healthcare for women in my country.”
The Model Campus is designed to be safe and efficient with beautiful buildings in addition to prioritizing energy self-sufficiency, comfort for staff and students, and integration into the surrounding community. It will include dedicated spaces for an early childhood development program, soccer fields, basketball courts, and open land for agriculture and/or power production for the benefit of the school as well as the surrounding community.
Like LCS Santo 5, the Model Campus and each new school in The Louverture Cleary Schools Network will be a catalyst for environmental sustainability. LCS Santo 5 remains a trailblazer in Haiti in the deployment of solar technology and environmental stewardship through education and in practice.
From more traditional waste management practices like recycling and composting, to hands-on experience with solar and other innovative green technologies, Louverture Cleary Schools students will gain an understanding of the importance of environmental stewardship to combat vicious cycles of environmental degradation in Haiti. The Model Campus and all campuses in the LCS Network will be 100 percent solar powered.
In addition, the Model Campus will be an anchor institution that positively integrates into the local and regional economy, providing resources and socioeconomic support to stimulate the community’s natural development. In order to enhance the stability and productivity of the school and the community in which it is embedded, THP is collaborating with local institutions, organizations and individuals to choose and execute projects with economic and environmental benefits for the greater community.
“Breaking ground on the Model Campus has been nothing short of momentous,” states THP President Reese Grondin. “It makes the Network vision concrete. And it affirms a brighter future for Haiti, built by and for Haitians themselves. There could not be a more exciting time to be a part of the THP community. I sincerely hope many more people will join us. New giving puts wind in our sails, and there is no better investment in Haiti than education.”
When realized, the LCS Network will eventually provide 3,600 students with a quality education steeped in service and 1,200 alumni with scholarships to Haitian universities each year.

For more information about the Model Campus and The Louverture Cleary Schools Network or to donate, visit www.haitianproject.org.